Lindsays

Dispute Resolution and Litigation

John is a Partner and heads up our Scotland wide, Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department.

He has over 20 years’ experience in a wide variety of disputes matters, with particular expertise in commercial litigation and property litigation. John also leads our specialist Debt Recovery unit, providing clients with an economic and efficient debt recovery service.

John's practice regularly sees him instructed in director & shareholder disputes, contract disputes and cases of corporate fraud. He also acts for landlords and tenants in all manner of property disputes, including dilapidation claims and contentious lease extensions or terminations.

John’s clients include property managers & developers, retailers, manufacturers, football clubs, professional services firms and insolvency practitioners. John also works closely with law firms elsewhere in the UK and beyond, supporting their clients in disputes within the jurisdiction.

John has a reputation for a practical, commercial approach to resolving disputes, backed up by thorough preparation when required. That prompted positive comment in Civil Practice (W. Green) in which the defender in a significant commercial action was described as being ‘trapped by diligent case preparation’ in proceedings in which John acted for the pursuer.

In 2025, John was elected Dean of the Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow.  He chairs its Audit and Court Committees.

Highlights

Instructed by Dundee United, Raith Rovers and Cove Rangers in an action served on them and the SPFL by Heart of Midlothian and Partick Thistle.  The claim commenced at the Court of Session (See Note by Lord Clark, July 2020), before moving to arbitration. The arbitration was confidential, but the tribunal allowed it to be reported that they unanimously ‘refused to grant any of the orders sought by Heart of Midlothian FC and Partick Thistle FC’. The successful outcome for John’s clients meant that they had each secured their respective promotions for the season 2020-2021.

Instructed by the successful tenant in the widely reported, high value dilapidations claim Dem-Master Demolition Limited –v- Healthcare Environmental Services Limited, litigated at the Commercial Court of the Court of Session.

Acting for the successful pursuer in a breach of directors’ duties/ recovery of secret profit action McGivney Construction Limited –v- Jozef Kaminski & Glen Maree Contracts Limited. The seven-figure claim extended to include ‘springboard’ profits and involved cross-border applications for the recovery of documentation.

Advising on a major fraud claim brought at the Court of Session in respect of the actions of a client’s former employee.

John is a member of the Property Litigation Association.